For us, sustainability isn’t just a buzz word used to keep shareholders and customer happy. For us, sustainability reflects a commitment as New Zealanders to keeping our country and our planet the way we like it – clean and green. Its also about maximising the utilisation and lifecycle of the things around us.
We are committed to maintaining a sustainable and eco-friendly business model both for personal reasons, as well as efficiency reasons. As well as wanting to keep our environment as clean and green as possible, it is important for us to run our business as efficiently as we can.
ISO14001
ISO 14001 is the most widely recognized and respected environmental stamp of approval which demonstrates responsible Management of a companies environmental impact."
Our most recent achievement is gaining this certification. We have successfully incorporated this ISO14001 Environmental Management System with our existing ISO9001 Quality Management System. Our adoption of the ISO 14001 standard formalises our ongoing commitment to the environment and shows that the policies, procedures and practices we have in place, limit waste and reduce our carbon footprint.
Silicon has developed a thorough environmental policy to support us in striving to achieve these goals...
Environmental Policy
Silicon Systems is committed to understanding and reducing its impact on the environment and strive to continually improve its environmental performance to prevent pollution and how it's business impacts on the environment. It will achieve this by limiting the pollution that it creates as a company and having practices and procedures that promote sustainability in the use of natural resources. Silicon is committed to not just comply with all applicable legal and other requirements but to exceed these. The company is committed to comply to ISO14001.
Silicon has a number of practices in place that support environmental sustainability. Some of them are:
| • | Use of energy efficient heating and lighting – Silicon’s technical facility in Petone takes advantage of natural lighting to reduce electricity consumption. Heat pumps are also used to provide heating when required, which are extremely energy efficient. All lights and heat pumps are turned off at night to conserve electricity, as are all staff PCs and monitors. |
| • | Silicon’s fleet of vehicles are all powered by diesel engines, providing greater fuel economy and less CO2 emissions. |
| • | Silicon has a recycling programme for all packaging received. Corrugated cardboard is collected twice weekly for recycling. |
| • | Silicon has a ‘box return’ program, where customers are able to have their PC boxes collected by Silicon’s courier and returned back to Silicon for re-use. This is a service which is currently utilised by many of our customers nationwide, and is free of charge. |
| • | Silicon encourages minimal use of printing paper, with an electronic faxing system, duplexing set as default for all workstations. |
| • | Silicon also recycles all glass and plastic and aluminium cans in our rubbish through Full Circle Recycling. |
| • | Silicon uses corrugated cardboard packaging for PC Chassis cases, Monitor boxes, and System Boxes. This cardboard is recyclable. |
Intel and Sustainability
Silicon’s major supplier, Intel®, is focused on reducing its environmental footprint and improving its performance. Intel® strives to design its products for a sustainable environment, while providing a safe and healthful workplace for its employees, contractors, and communities. For full details on Intel®’s Environmental responsibility philosophies and practices, please visit:
http://www.Intel®.com/Intel®/other/ehs/index.htm?iid=cr+ln_environment.
